What an apple, what suavity of aroma. Its initial Madeira-like mellowness of flavour overlies a deeper honeyed nuttiness, crisply sweet not sugar sweet, but the succulence of a well devilled marrow bone. Surely no apple of greater distinction or more perfect balance can ever have been raised anywhere on earth.
This lovely russet with the charming name has a rosy orange blush beneath its suede overcoat. Unblushed skin is green. It is a small medium and has large lenticels that are all rusetted over. The fruit's calyx is open but very shallow, and it has a pleasant faint smell of tea.I got two of these in early December, past their prime. I've tasted Ashmead's Kernel once before, and though I did not record my impressions I remember strong lemon and sugar notes and crisp firmness. The example shown in my photo is the only one I have seen with any sort of a blush. It's attractive, but possibly overripe.
The flesh is a firm tender coarse yellow, tart and quite sweet with nice citric acidity. I find when a stored apple has lost some crispness or flavor that the area around the equator of the fruit goes first. Tasting around the poles of this sample still yields some lemon-drop flavors, also faint hints of pear and nutmeg. Try Ashmead's Kernel for yourself if ever you get the chance.
In the best of all possible worlds I would taste every fruit at peak. In this world I found these in a supermarket which had a box of heirlooms from an orchard in New York. (Credit where due: this was not just any supermarket.) And I am glad to get them, along with two Esopus Spitzenbergs that I will taste soon.
According to Staub, Ashmead's originated in Gloucestershire 300 years ago but was not introduced in the U.S. until the 1950s.
I have one of the trees - in Gloucestershire. You are right - the fruit is wonderful. The tree was slow to fruit (hardly any until 7 years old) and is quite erratic.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! I have read that these can be difficult to grow. They certainly are not easy to find around here.
ReplyDeleteI planted an Ashmead's spring of '07, am impatiently waiting for the first four apples to ripen in probably another month here in Spokane. In reading up on this cultivar, am intrigued to find folks growing it and singing its praises from Edmonton, BC to Riverside, CA, west coast to east. Seems to be a tough customer when it comes to growing conditions.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I have never tasted it - yet.
Ashmead's are 'shy bearing,' but it's like the tree concentrates sugar and flavor in the few fruit that are produced.
ReplyDeleteNot too long ago, a pretty comprehensive study of apple and pear genes was conducted in the UK by DEFRA. One of the remarkable things that they learned was that there are many "erratic bearers" that were thought to be diploids that are actually triploids (sterile pollen). This means they need to be planted in close proximity (and at a similar bloom time) to a couple of diploids to be able to produce a decent crop. Turns out Ashmead's Kernel is one of these triploids, as is Roxbury Russet.
ReplyDeleteTo see the full list of triploids they uncovered, just do a Google search for DEFRA and for "Fingerprinting the National Apple & Pear Collections."
@Litawyn, I wonder if the application of this information will reduce Ashmead's reputation as a shy or erratic bearer.
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